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(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. E. HOEPLING. APPARATUS FOR SYNGHRONIZING CLOCKS.

No. 390,230. atented Oct. 2, 1888.

FIGS.

fi .A A WITNESSES.

I I INVENTOR.

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2 SheetsSheet 2.

(Model.)

0. E. HOEFLING.

APPARATUS FOR SYNOHRONIZING CLOCKS.

No. 390,230. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

FIG.2.

INVENTOR v WITNESSES.

N. PUERS. Phom-uem n mr. walhznzlon. D4 (:4

UNITED STATES CHARLES E. HOEFLING, OF LONDON,

PATENT ()FFEQE.

COUNTY OF MlDDLESFJX, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,230, dated October 2, 1888.

Application filed April 25, 1887. Serial No. 236,128.

lModel.) Patented in England OctoherR, ISSG, No. 12,810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ERNEST HOEF- LING, a subject of the Crown of Great Britain. residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Synchronizing Clocks, (for which I have obtained a patent in England, No. 12,810, dated October S, 1886,) of which the following is a full and exact description.

My invention has reference to clock-synelr ronizing apparatus of the kind in which one or more clocks have theirhands set or moved to the exact time once an hour or any prearranged intervals by means of devices acted upon by an electric current from a standard or normal clock or time-keeper.

In apparatus of this description as heretofore constructed there have usually been twopins or arms projecting through the dial of the clock to be synchronized, one at each side of zero, and when the current from the standard or normal clock has arrived at the com pletion ofthe hour the said pins or arms have been caused, by means of an electro magnet armature and intermediate mechanism,to move to and meet at the zero-point, and in their movement to shift the minutehand exactly to zero if it is not there already. XVhen the ap paratus works properly, the current lasts only a few seconds, and on its ceasing the armature and the pins or arms are returned by means of a weight to their normal position, where they remain until the current from the normal clock again arrives; but it sometimes happens that, owing to the current becoming more or less permanent, or to an accumulation of dirt, or to some other cause, the armature remains in contact with the magnet, so that the pins or arms, after having been moved to the zeropoint, remain there, and consequently retain the minute-hand and stop the clock.

The object of my invention is to overcome this objection, and for this purpose I so arrange the synchronizing or setting devices that if, owing to the current becoming perma nent or to any other cause, the armature remains in contact with the electro-magnet the hand is not retained, and therefore the clock is not stopped orits regular workinginterfered with. I employ as the devices which act directly upon the minute-hand a pair of arms which are free to move on horizontal axes or pivots, and have counter weights that keep them normally in a horizontal position in line with each other, or approximately so. The arms have each a tail, and these tails meet or overlap each other in front of a vertical slot in the clock-dial. A pin which is connected with the armature of the electro-magnet projects through this slot. Vhen the current arrives from the standard clock, and the armature is therefore attracted by the magnet, the pin above mentioned moves down the slot, and in so doing pushes down the tails of the setting-arms, and thus causes the arms themselves to rise to the vertical positionthat is tosay, to zeroand, graspingthe minute-hand, they set it to zero. Immediately the pin has passed the tails the counter-weights return the setting arms to their horizontal position clear of the minute hand. The pin, in again rising after the current ceases, has only to slightly move the setting-arms in passing them, be cause their tails are beveled on the under side. Should the pin fail to rise, owing to the current becoming permanent or to any other cause, the setting devices being and remaining clear of the minutehand, the regular working of the clock is not interfered with.

My invention will be fully understood on reference to the annexed drawings, in which- Figurel is aface view ofa portion of a clock fitted with my improved synchronizing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a back view as seen from the line 1 1 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a plan. Fig. 4 is a detached view in elevation of the two setting-arms, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the same. Fig. (5 shows the position of the setting-arms at the moment of action. Fig. 7 is a central vertical section showing the action of the armature and actuating-pin.

A is the clock-dial, and b the minutehand.

c is an electro magnet in connection with the standard clock from which the electric cur rent arrives at the completion of every hour.

(I is the armature of the magnet, and c is a weight that normally keeps the armature from the magnet.

fis a pin attached to the armature and projecting through a vertical slot, 1 in the clockdial. W'hen the armature is attracted to the magnet, this pin moves down the slot, and while the armature is returning to its normal position the pin again moves up the slot.

h h are a pair oi arms free to move on hori zontal axes or pivots ii, and carrying counter-weights k k, that keep them normally in a horizontal position, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. These arms have each a tail, Z, and the two tails meet or overlap each other in front of the vertical slot 9.

It will readily be understood that when the current arrives from the standard clock, and the armature d is therefore attracted by the clectro-magnet c, and the pin f consequently moves down the slot 9, this pin pushes down the tails of the arms h h, and thus causes the arms themselves to rise to the vertical positi0n-that is to say, to zero-as seen in Fig. 6.

The minute-hand is thus set to zero, the arms I claim as new is h h grasping between them a pin, m, on the back of the minute-hand.

inent against which the arms come. Immediately the pin f has passed the tails H the counter-weights 7t k return the arms h h to the horizontal position seen in Fig. 1. The tails of the arms being beveled on the under side, the pinf has only to slightly move the arms in passing them in again rising. It will also n is astop or abut- -I their tails Z Z and counterweights kit, in comas being fixed in pieces 0 0, attached to the back of the clock-dial. The electro-magnet c is represented as supported by a bracket, and the armature by arms (1 q.

If,instead ofacting directly upon the minutehand, the setting devices h h are arranged to act upon a false hand behind the dial on the arbor of the minute-hand, the said devices will be placed at the back of the dial and the pinf need not then project through the dial. The slot 9 can therefore be dispensed with; or by having the tails Z Z behind the dial instead of in front of it, as shown, the pinf need not project through the dial and the slot 9 is unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what The pair of setting arms or devices h h, with bination with an electro'magnet and the counter-weighted armature having a pin, f, to engage the setting-arms h h, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in apparatus for synchronizing clocks 55 signed by me this 29th day of March, 1887.

O. E. HOEFLING. \Vitnesses:

THOMAS WARD,

GEORGE PERCY SKELSEY. 

